Seeking Comfort COMPLETE
by Dakk Tribal
Summary: Ashe seeks solace from her grief, and only one person can deliver it to her. What she doesn't know is that he will play a large part in her future. This is the long awaited prequel to 'Hardest Way to Love'. VaanxAshe fluff, maybe a lemon.
1. Chapter 1

It all started so innocently. Her heart was aching with loss and sorrow; mine was hard as stone and filled with thoughts of revenge. Yet, it was her cries, her tears that made me realize there was more to this journey than just toppling the Empire. There was much more to it than that. And she showed me what.

We had returned from the Henne Mines later in the day, the Garif, the tribe's people of Jahara, saw to our return and were a bit surprised.

Ashe had found none but disappointment with herself in the meeting with the Garif Elder. Her hopes of using the Dawn Shard as a weapon against the Empire of Archadia proved to be tall tales. Because the stone had lost its powers destroying the Leviathan it was now rendered useless. Even though she had shown obvious disappointment in front of everyone, that was only a sample of how the Princess really felt. She was beside herself, but as she lay in her tent, the flap open for the moon's rays to come in, she slowly but surely started to fall into a form of despair she had not felt in years. 'My chances for a quick victory once again failed to bore fruit, and now I must start from scratch again..." she whispered to herself, curling under her thick fur blankets, which didn't help that she had cold despite the warmth given to her.

Warmth that she had been denied continually since her kingdom was lost two years ago. First, her new husband Prince Rasler was killed fighting for Dalmasca, then her beloved father the King fell because of by an assassin's blade, and then the hat trick, Dalmasca was conquered and it all happened in less than a week. Since then, Ashe had been fighting against impossible odds against the most powerful Empire Ivalice had ever known, and her only true weapon now was the determination to see it fall, and her anger and wish for revenge had been the fuel for the fire.

But, despite all of her sacrifice, she kept hitting the wall with failure. The assault on her former castle had been the first blow, the second was when her own trusted friend Vossler became a turncoat, believing that to save Ashe he had to side with the Empire. In the end that had cost him his life. The final nail was Ashe's own hope on the Dawn Shard, a stone believed to destroy all of its enemies in a single blow. But now it was almost as useful as a throwing stone.

"Now its useless..." Ashe whispered before adjusting her arm under the pillow she was using. What was she going to do now? That little bit of despair was starting to well up in her as she thought about how she could continue her fight. A fight that was looking more and more vain with each passing day. With everything that has gone on the past few days, was it even worth it trying to fight?

"No...it will not end. Not until this body of mine has breathed its last breath," Ashe said, trying to sound tough, to make herself sound like she was invincible, but it was like trying to toughen a child. She missed her father, her homeland, and she greatly missed her lost love Rasler. She would never show her weakness to her companions, nor anyone else that knew her, but the truth was that the mighty Ashe, fallen Princess of Dalmasca and leader of the Resistance, was afraid. Afraid of being alone, in the dark, surrounded by enemies. Her heart was not totally shattered, still there but pieces were falling. Ashe was no longer a child, but as her tears started to fall, she wished that she could have been one once again.

"Ashe?"

The Princess' eyes shot open and she sat up, seeing a boy kneeling in the entrance of her tent. Wiping the tears that had fallen from the corners of her eyes away, Ashe regained what composure she had left to answer, "Vaan...?"

"I thought I heard you from outside. Something wrong?"

Ashe took a few seconds to see that Vaan appeared to be genuinely concerned about her. The boy, aged seventeen and two years her junior, crawled on into the tent, closing the flap behind him. Ashe shook her head, "I'm fine, but I appreciate your concern."

"No disrespect, Princess, but you're a horrible liar," he replied.

The Princess rolled back to her side, "Why are you here." And that wasn't a question directed at Vaan either.

"Well, I did say-"

"Never mind. You came here looking to console me, am I right? If that is the case forget it."

Vaan chuckled and despite her harsh words, he sat next to her, her back still to him. "Like I said before, you're a horrible liar."

"You love repeating yourself don't you?"

"Only when necessary. Besides, you're sobbing I heard as I was passing, it was hard to ignore."

_I was not sobbing, I'm tougher than that,_ she wanted to say, but Vaan would have seen through that, so she kept quiet. She tried to keep her legs together for warmth as she shivered from the cold.

Then she felt a blanket go up to her shoulders. She immediately grabbed it out of reflex. "Well, I guess if my company is not needed, then I'll go back to my tent. See you in the morning, Princess." She heard him say as he left her alone in the dark again. Ashe sat up and now felt even worse. He had tried to help her out and she had told him off.

She cursed her insensitiveness, she clutched the blanket tighter. It had been a while since she had been given some sort of consoling, but what little she got, Ashe was grateful for. "It was comforting..." she said a loud, feeling a bit warmer, and more comfortable once again.

She said, just as sleep started to take her, "Thank you, Vaan..."


	2. Chapter 2

Larsa's company held up the group's departure from Jahara longer than expected, but since it was Larsa nobody complained, not even Ashe. The trek of reaching Mt. Bur-omisace finally started a bit later in the morning, and crossing the Ozmone Plains took the rest of the morning after a detour was made to avoid a group of Garif warriors battling Gators.

Basch was the leader of the party, with Ashe and Larsa standing directly behind him. Vaan had kept quiet to Ashe the whole morning, and especially the rest of the group, about his nighttime meeting with the Princess. Penelo would have tried to discipline him for disturbing the her; while Vaan was sure that he'd get nothing but dirty looks from everyone else. There was no way he was going to walk the rest of the journey with that on his conscious. No, he was going to make sure that whatever happened between him and Ashe was kept between them. His only worry was if Ashe would do the same, keep it to herself. The attitude she had with him last night was unacceptable, but with everything she had gone through up to this point made that argument useless to fight over.

Of course, if someone were to ask Vaan why he went to Ashe's tent in the middle of the night, there would no doubt be a many eyebrows raised. After all, Ashe was a Princess (albeit exiled) and Vaan was one of her subjects, also she was a leader of a resistance movement and he was street thief. Vaan was known for being brazen and not caring about other people's opinions as to what he did, and what he did with Ashe was just another example of that trait.

Vaan stopped to rest with everyone else outside the Golmore Jungle, Ashe sitting on a large rock near a bunch of tall grass. She was hugging her knees up to her chest and resting her head on her knees, not out of being tired, but out of frustration. _We should have gotten to the mountain by now…_ Her level of uneasiness was rising with each moment used for other purposes.

"Princess?"

She didn't even raise her head at the voice, for she didn't care who it was at the moment, "What?"

The steps of the person came up to stand in front of her, "You really should mind your surroundings."

A light hiss was heard from the right of Ashe as she looked up. She saw the vile face of a baby Viper, and when you mean baby it was about two feet long. Ashe gasped and backed away a few inches out of fright. Vaan had a hold of the creature by the base of the head and the tip of the tail, firmly holding onto it. "This thing's venom can make your body go numb for hours, and from an adult it can kill you."

Ashe stood up as Vaan passed her to through the reptile in a ditch rather than kill it. He made his way back and Ashe stood with arms crossed over her chest with her chin somewhat higher than before, realizing that Vaan had just saved her from injury, she was still not in the mood to talk to him for even small things. She wasn't doing it to be mean, but to up hold her pride. She was of royal birth, after all.

Ashe went and walked off before Vaan could say anything, or receive a word of gratitude, although Ashe said that in silence.

Basch and Larsa went on ahead with the others while Ashe and Vaan came up the rear. Ashe was walking slowly, hands on her stomach and visibly distracted by her own thoughts. Sure she wanted to get going but she felt more and more guilty about being rude to Vaan. So, she came to a stop at the cave entrance, and a low rumble of thunder came from the large grey clouds heading their way across the plains towards the jungle. "It's going to storm here within the hour."

Walking on in, Vaan notice Ashe stop in the first room of the jungle, surrounded by all the thick vines and trees, as well the sounds of the wildlife there was to offer. It was also dark due to the thick canopy as well as the cloud build-up with the storm approaching. Still, Ashe was going to apologize to Vaan and get it over with.

"So, you intending to ignore me the whole way to Mt. Bur-Omisace?"

Ashe ignored him, "Sorry."

Vaan stepped up next to her, and sort of glad that she had said her first word to him since the night before, "Just now or last night?"

"Both, my attitude was not what it should have been."

Vaan nodded once, accepting her apology, "It's alright."

"That's it?"

Putting his hands on his hips, "I'm never one to hold a grudge over small things."

A loud clap of thunder stopped the conversation in its track momentarily, and both the Princess and the thief looked up to what blue sky and sun could be seen through the trees slowly vanished behind dark grey clouds. Small bits of lightning flashed here and there.

Vaan sighed, "Well, good thing we got inside when we did."

The Princess silently agreed with her companion, "Now, I hope there won't be anything like this when we get to the other side of the jungle, and to the Paramina Rift."

Vaan started to walk along the path to the left, the way Fran said to go, "Then we better get moving, else we'll lose track of the others."

Ashe heard Vaan but decided to remain behind a few moments longer. _From the Rift, then it's on to Bur-Omisace._ Ashe could hardly wait as her excitement began to rise again. She ran after Vaan and when she did she noticed he stopped, "What's wrong?"

Vaan put up his hand, and then pointed a finger to his ear.

Ashe closed her mouth, and after a few seconds she realized that the forest had gone silent. All she heard was the rain hitting the canopy above her, at first.

Then, something slimy slapping a hard surface.

It didn't take long for it to show itself. Crawling out from between the trees just off the platform, with what looked like over a hundred eyes that matched its tentacles, was a Malboro. Ugly, green with black spots and spewing thick green gases from behind its many rows of razor sharp teeth, the Malboro was a creature reviled throughout Ivalice for its disgusting breath, known to wither all forms of plant life before it.

"Just one…" Ashe said, pulling out the small sword from her belt.

"Better recount that, Your Majesty," Vaan said, and Ashe turned around to see at least four more of the grotesque creatures coming at them from behind the one in front of the two travelers. Ashe stood ready to fight, but Vaan pulled her back by the shoulders.

"What are you doing?!"

"We need to fall back before we are surrounded!"

Vaan had to nearly pull Ashe back to the entrance platform, and it seemed that with every foot they fell back, another Malboro came out of the forest.

Ashe did kill one of the monster when it got too close, and Vaan got another with a Blizzara spell, but it easily became clear that they wouldn't be able to fight them off by themselves. Ashe was also able to figure out that there were other explosions happening deeper in the forest, meaning that Ashe and Vaan weren't the only ones fighting.

Vaan spoke after taking down another monster, "We're not going to be able to take them all on. We have to go back outside."

Ashe looked behind her and saw it pouring down rain, and the lightning flashing, and she immediately shook her head, "You jest-!"

"Ashe! We have no choice!" Vaan grabbed her hand and Ashe pulled back, but Vaan mustered enough force to drag her out of the jungle, where the Malboro chased them right to entrance, but stopped short of going outside.

Vaan kept a firm hold of Ashe's hand up until they were well beyond the jungle entrance.

Meanwhile Ashe had had enough, "Unhand me this instant-!" She got her hand free, and she fell backward into a large puddle of water.

Vaan fell to his knees on the ground, but he was able to get back up quickly, "Very well. Be that way."

Ashe got up, and she wasted no time in getting in Vaan's face, "You hand no right to stop me, nor touch me for that matter!"

Vaan heard her clearly over the heavy rain, "The fact that I saved you from certain and a vain death doesn't seem to make a bit of difference for you, huh?"

Ashe turned around, as if she were intending to head back to the Jungle. Vaan ran ahead of her and stopped her in her tracks. Obviously, Ashe was not happy, "Out of my way."

"No."

She tried to shove him aside, but Vaan moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, much to Ashe's surprise and anger, lifting her off the ground and walking away with her squirming and yelling.

"Put me down!"

Vaan stopped where they had rested earlier in the day, he finally had to set her down, "For being a Princess you act more like an immature teenager—"

_Slap!_

The force of Ashe's hand hitting Vaan's face was as close as one would imagine being hit with a steel wall. Vaan had fallen backwards onto a large rock, one of his hands going right to his bruised and throbbing cheek. He didn't cry out mainly because he couldn't believe how hard she had hit him. To make matters worse it she had used the hand with her rings on her fingers, adding more hurt to it.

Ashe stood over Vaan as he looked up at her, she appeared more angry than he had ever seen her, "If you ever do that to me again, I swear on my father's name that I will—"

Vaan didn't let her finish as he jumped up from the rock, grabbed Ashe by the upper arms, and spun her around to make her go onto the rock on her back. The Princess was taken aback and found herself unable to move, Vaan's strength surprising her. He hovered over her, blocking all the rain that would have been hitting her already soaked body. "You know, your temper is very unbecoming of you, Princess."

Now Ashe had to struggle a bit, "You let me go."

"Not until you fully realize our situation: first off, a cluster of Malboro have come out to feed, and if we go back there we'll end up a meal of theirs. Second, our friends are probably deep into the woods that they can't get back out here to help us. Also, in case you're oblivious, we're stuck in a storm, so we need to find shelter and wait out the storm. Finally, you being mad at me for saving your life is really not helping us any," after that explanation, Vaan let Ashe go. "So, think it over for a second, Ashe."

Ashe sat up and felt the rain, and reality, hit her hard. He was right, and she again cursed herself. "Then let us be off, but don't say a word to me unless you have to. Understand?"

For the next few minutes, the two silently did their best to navigate through the rain and mist. Vaan did keep his mouth shut for the whole thing, and Ashe only spoke when she sneezed due to the cold. This made Vaan look harder for a place to stay in. He also began to feel excessively heavy due to all the rain soaking his clothes, though he was better off than Ashe was. She had that white shirt that was laden with small jewels. Then there was the red skirt she wore, it was small to begin with, but it seemed to shrink in the rain. Of course, Vaan didn't look at her long enough to feast himself, he was higher than that, even though Ashe was indeed a sight under normal circumstances.

But, Vaan had to admit, even though she had the temper of a mean dog at times, Ashe was beautiful, even wet.

But, he kept those words to himself, of course. It was also after what seemed like forever that Vaan found something.

"Seems we can hide out here."

The 'here' he was talking about was what looked like a small tower from an airship, one of the many that were scattered all over the plains. It was imbedded into the ground, but there was what looked like a large space at least five feet off the ground. "We'll see if that's good enough."

Ashe nodded, but didn't lose the expression of discomfort she had on her face. The two had to cross a small batch of waist high grass and mud. Ashe tried to walk on the stick and stones to avoid the mud, and because of that she was moving slowly.

"You know, I can carry you across."

Ashe heard Vaan but ignored him, going on she tried to step on a thick branch but it snapped when she stepped on it. Her foot went into the mud, but she also vaulted forward, about to head first into the mud—

-Or she would have if Vaan had not caught her hand. Before she could berate him for touching her, he swooped her up into his arms, like when he caught her in the sewers of Rabanastre. Though this time it was under less than normal circumstances.

"We're going to die from drowning at the pace we're going, so this will be faster," Vaan said, stopping what he believed would be an insult or another physical retaliation.

Ashe huddled her body close to his, noticing his body was a bit warmer than her, and how she enjoyed that warmth more than she would like to admit, "Don't expect me to thank you for this."

Vaan was not surprised by her attitude, "Suit yourself." He carried her well past the mud and to the tower, and was grateful to the Gods for what he found. It was a large circular room, dry and level floor with no damage to the structure itself. "We'll stay here until the storm goes away."

Once she set foot on the ground, Ashe took off for the window on the opposite side of the room, her hands rubbing her ribs, trying to keep herself warm. Vaan opened his knapsack and pulled out the only thing that had been spared from the rain: a thick fur blanket. It wasn't very big, meant to be for a small or medium sized bed. He also had a thin sheet of cloth that was bigger than the blanket. The only bad thing was Vaan had not packed a pillow, so his empty knapsack would have to do.

"Better make yourself comfortable. The storms out here can last for days," Vaan said, setting up the bed on the ground, "You can sleep and I'll keep watch."

"Turn around."

Vaan didn't even ask why, instead he humored her, and looked back at the window she had stood at. He saw her leggings and shirt under the curve of the window. _Oh…_ It was more obvious now. Wet clothes. Vaan himself took off the vest he wore and rolled up his pant legs to his knees.

Ashe went on over and sat down, not looking at Vaan, and the thief guessed it was over the fact that she might have to sit out the storm for far longer than she had thought. That or she was from the waist up nude. More than likely both. "Anything else you want to tell me? If it isn't important, good night then," Ashe said rather rudely, covering herself with the blanket. Her constant shivering was obvious to Vaan.

"If you're not warm enough, I can help with my—"

Though he couldn't see it, Ashe's eyes went extra wide, knowing exactly what he was implying, which in her current state she blatantly and outright refused, "You will not—" Ashe felt her threat go on deaf ears as Vaan shifted himself under the blanket, putting his bare chest up against Ashe's bare back. Ashe gasped, and blushed a crimson red in her face, as well as wrapping her arms around her chest, and did so just in time as Vaan's left arm came and wrapped itself around her waist, just above her navel. "Vaan!"

Vaan smiled, not intimidated, "I swear my intentions are purely honorable."

Wanting to argue, but suddenly feeling too tired to care, Ashe just stomached it and closed her eyes, "You better be."

And with that, the two fell asleep to the sound of heavy rain.


	3. Chapter 3

Even though she slept easily through the night, Ashe was bothered by the fact that the rain had not let up since she fell asleep. If anything else it appeared that the storm had gotten worse. Rain was failing so hard that it was hard to see beyond ten feet or so, and the more disturbing fact was that flooding was now more than a possibility at this point. Ashe got up from the makeshift bed Vaan had made, as well as moving Vaan's arm from around her waist in the process, and walked over to the window. Her fears were soon realized as she saw water inching dangerously close to the opening of their little hide-out, a good meter or so of water just inches from coming inside. "This is just unfair...so unfair," the princess said, her words barely audible due to the falling rain.

Vaan was sleeping peacefully, and Ashe tried to warm herself up by rubbing her arms with her hands. While she probably would never tell him to his face, Ashe was glad to have been kept warm thanks to Vaan, and she had been rather rude to him for it. The teenage boy did do a good thing after all, despite Ashe's discomfort of having his arm around her the entire night.

Remembering why she was cold in the first place, Ashe made sure to cover her chest with her arms and she shivered as a result. Ashe decided to go and check on her clothes and see if they were the least bit dry. While she didn't like the idea of catching pneumonia, she'd rather be in a half-dried shirt than walk about in nothing but her skirt, even if Vaan had come close to seeing her half nude the night before. She had never even let Rasler see her that way even after their wedding, due to the tragedy that happened following that glorious day.

Stepping over the still sleeping Vaan to where her shirt was hanging, Ashe stretched her arms out and tried to warm herself again. Feeling the cloth she could tell it was still damp all over, and her frustration couldn't be contained as she grunted it out.

"So, you're awake?"

Vaan's voice made Ashe jump and turn to see him lying on his side facing her, and Ashe covered herself again having had them at her sides mere moments before. "Don't look!"

Vaan slowly rolled over, "it's your fault for not being cautious, but anyway, I take it our clothes are not dry yet?"

Cheeks red, Ashe nodded, "Afraid not." 'Which means I'm stuck like this for awhile...'

"Oh well, that meant it must have rained all night long," he said sitting up and Ashe turned to have her back to him.

"There's a chance that this room may flood," Ashe said, dread in her voice. She made no effort to hide it either.

"Nah, I think our luck will hold out. Besides, if it does flood we'll have trouble leaving here. The water causes other problems and not just being evicted from the house." Vaan stood up, stretching his arms out, "Such as Vipers."

Ashe had to remind herself about the Vipers, large grey snakes that were dangerous in numbers. The little ones could easily be killed, but a bigger one needed more than one person to kill. "Their dens get flooded and they are forced out during the rain. We have to remain weary of them now more than ever, you got that?"

Feeling a bit taken aback by what he just said, Ashe kept her arms over her chest and turned around, "Like I need to be warned about the danger, least of all by someone like you. I don't need any help."

Vaan crossed his arms over his chest, not convinced, "Oh yeah? You would have been killed had I not stopped you at Gilmore, and then you would've froze to death last night had it not been for me. I'd like for you to show some form of gratitude."

Ashe felt a little bit offended for what Vaan had just said, "Far as last night goes, you put your hands on me-whoa!" She took a step forward and tripped over the blanket on the ground, stumbling forward. Vaan didn't even think, his arms went out and he was able to catch Ashe all while falling back a step himself. Obviously he was stronger than he looked. Ashe collided with Vaan, taken wholly by surprise but before she could adjust herself she shivered. A reaction like that born out of her cold flesh coming into sudden contact with Vaan's chest. To make matters worse, her arms were on Vaan's shoulders, her breasts unprotected. Her bare chest, cold as ice, immediately began to heat up as she realized what the predicament she was in. Her heart started to pound rapidly, and her face gave a shade of red she had never had before. Especially after when she looked up at Vaan's face.

Well, let's just say that while he should have been extremely surprised at what happened, Ashe had expected him to shove her away but what she saw made her angry. He was smiling at her! Like he was amused! Ashe was able to back away, ready to backhand him but he still had a hold of the princess by her arms.

"Sorry about that, you okay?"

Ashe finally struggled out of his grip, covered her chest with her left arm and, with all the force she had smacked him across the face. Fair, he had expected it, just not how hard she ended up hitting him. Vaan stumbled back a step before he nonchalantly fell on his backside. '_Wow...that hurt..._' he thought, slightly amused.

Ashe, however, was fuming. "You ever do that again I'll..."

"Ashe, shut up."

The princess gasped, "What did you say?"

"Don't think I'll just let you walk all over me and threaten me all you want, I'm here to help you, but be sure to acknowledge the fact that I can easily leave you out here all by yourself if I wanted to. Just remember that before you slap me for every little thing that goes wrong."

Knowing that she had been beaten back but never one to admit her own defeats, Ashe did the only thing she knew she could do in this situation. Refusing to look at Vaan and not caring, she grabbed her shirt and his blanket and went over to the corner of the room, huddling for warmth and just wishing that she could just leave this god forsaken place. She'd rather fight the Malboros in the jungle than be alone with Vaan right now.


	4. Chapter 4

The rain finally let up the following morning, much to Ashe's delight. The sun was starting to rise, and the temperature was already beginning to be muggy and sticky.

Making things better was the water had receded to an almost non-existent state. Both herself and Vaan got out of their safe house early that morning and went about doing their own business. Of course, Ashe wanted to get back to Gilmore Jungle and get in touch with the others, but Vaan had been quick to point out that that would be dangerous. Even though the storm was over, they had to worry about the Vipers being out. With their dens flooded temporarily, they would be out and in numbers. Ashe realized the dangers, and as much as she wanted to disagree with him, Vaan was right. She hated to admit that fact. Ever since the night before, when she and Vaan had that argument she refused to talk to him, at most points even look at him. She hated defeat, it felt like each loss was her fault alone and she grew to think of winning as the only meaningful thing in life. Beating the Empire was the only thing that mattered to Ashe.

Vaan gathered what supplies they had left, and it was dismal to say the least. They had virtually nothing left to eat except for some slices of bread that were somewhat soggy. No way that would count as edible, Vaan thought, throwing the bread into a bush with disgust. He then came to the more obvious conclusion as to what had to be done next. "We'd best be off to get something to eat."

Ashe, who had been sitting on the edge of the window of the fallen tower, jumped off to have her bare feet hit the dry ground. "And why should I go with you? Surely you can find them yourself?"

Vaan noticed her tone, and promptly ignored it, "Well, the first thing I noticed is there's a natural lake just down river. Natural lakes mean there's drinkable water, as well as good food. I've traveled a little to know that there should be plenty to gather. I won't be able to do it by myself."

Ashe crossed her arms over her chest, not too pleased by the fact that by moving down river they'd be moving away from the Jungle, where their friends would obviously be looking for them.

Knowing this little field trip was not going to set well with the princess, Vaan stood up and put the strap of his rough sack over his shoulder. "Besides, if I leave you here what's not to say you'll take off for Gilmore once I turn the corner?"

The princess cursed him under her breath, she'd be lying if she said that there was no truth in his words.

"Figured as much. Anyway, we'll go down there and get back here by nightfall, alright?"  
>She nodded once, but refused to speak to Vaan as she grabbed her boots and started to put them on. Once she had done this, she walked past Vaan, still not saying anything as she led the way.<p>

Vaan sighed once, before he gathered his things and began to follow the still irate woman.

The place that Vaan had told her about was definitely a sight for sore eyes in Ashe's opinion. This area had a few trees, some large boulders on land as well as in the shallow water of the lake. The lake itself wasn't very big, but it had really fresh water that was cool to the touch. Just looking at it made the princess' mouth water, having had nothing to drink for almost a day. Vaan didn't protest when Ashe began to drink up the water with her hands, instead he offered her one of the canteens he had been carrying around. "This one's yours."

She took it with silent thanks and as she began to fill the metal container up, Ashe noticed the dirt on her hands come on off easily. Looking at the rest of her arms and her legs, which were caked in dirt, Ashe just had one thing to say, "By the gods am I filthy..."  
>Vaan heard her and shrugged, "You want to take a bath?"<p>

Ashe stood up, closing the lid on the canteen as she did. "Funny how you bring that up. It's like you want me to take one."

Vaan missed the sarcasm, that or he ignored it, "...okay, well, I was going to go and check around for some berries. I thought you'd want to take it while I am gone-"

"Then go about your business, leave me be," Ashe said, not caring that her tone was rude.  
>Vaan sighed again, this time in frustration, "Ashe, I know you're still mad at me for the other night, but cut me some slack. I'm just not one to let you go and get yourself killed in the name of revenge."<p>

"You're one to talk. You wanted to take vengeance on Basch when you believed that he was the murderer of your brother, and now you seem like a good ally to him."

Vaan put the strap of his sack over his shoulder, now ready for some gathering of berries, hearing the words Ashe was now telling him. "Yeah, but unlike you I found out the truth and moved on. You could at least do the same, right?"

_'But you didn't lose a kingdom...or your father...or even the love of your life one right after the other like I did,'_ Ashe thought putting her hands to her cheeks. Oh how much she wanted to scream at him, to tell him how much she hurt on the inside, but she wouldn't waste her time on it when she was certain he would not understand. So, she'd be straight on point.

Vaan could sense some tension brewing and he didn't like it. Since he spoke his mind at the moment, he thought it'd be best to just leave now before it got too out of control. "I'll be back before too long. Stay here."

As he started to walk away, Ashe spoke, "Where else would I go?"

Vaan waved a hand, "Nowhere I wouldn't be able to find you. Just don't make me go after you."

Vaan went on a few yards and found a trail that led to more heavily forested part that was with large bushes full of berries. From what his friend Penelo had told him, there weren't any poisonous fruits in Dalmasca so he started picking them like crazy, even chomping down on a handful here and there as he went.

Of course, he moved on to other bushes, gathering up whatever he could. But there was one other thing he noticed as he went about his work. There were some plants with purple flowers around the edges of the bushes.

Ashe got undressed as soon as Vaan was gone and got into the water. It was slightly colder than she had expected, but she got used to it easily, feeling that cool water was better than no water at all. So, with what spare time she had before Vaan came back she went out into the deeper part of the lake, diving under to do a swim or two while she was at it, thinking it'd calm that fire inside her if the water itself failed to do the job for her.

Still, she couldn't help but feel that intensity remain even after she returned to the surface to get her breath back. Returning to the shore, Ashe realized that she had nothing to dry herself off with. And she would've been curing up a storm if the echo of the area didn't go so far.

"I hate myself right now," she thought, seething tone in her voice. Instead, she grabbed the blanket she had used the night before and went to a more secluded area. Then, after feeling that she had no other alternatives and forced herself to swallow her pride, she laid down on the blanket, intending for the sun to dry her skin for her and her clothes on top of that. Closing her eyes at the silence that filled her ears, the rebel princess slowly exhaled, finally relaxing after being agitated that morning.

I think…this is the best pleasure I have had in quite some time," she said, folding her arms under her breasts as a gentle yet cool breeze hit her body, causing her to shiver as her skin was still somewhat wet.

And that was how Vaan discovered her. He had returned earlier than expected to where he had left Ashe before at the lake but when he saw that she was gone as well as her clothes he assumed that she had taken off for the Jungle. Then he started to look around to make sure and now he had stumbled onto the captivating sight. While he would probably never say it to her face to face, Vaan had to admit that Ashe was the most gorgeous woman he had ever lay eyes on.

Vaan decided to back up and return to camp and let the princess have her private time, also hopping that Ashe would be a bit forgiving if she ever found out about him-

"Hey!"

Vaan stopped and turned to see Ashe standing up where she had been laying and looking right at him. Vaan felt his legs wanting to move, but for some reason he couldn't move. Even as Ashe grabbed her clothes and covered herself with them, Vaan turned his head away to avoid her glare which he knew was looking right him. He was caught though, plain and simple. Still he felt the urge to defend himself, "I'm sorry, I thought you went off-"

He was waiting for Ashe to scream at him, instead he saw that she had moved up to stand in front of him, blanket covering her front. However, he knew it was coming and promptly raised his right arm. Sure enough, Ashe's hand came at him but Vaan had grabbed it and just out of being very annoyed he grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed her against the tree he was standing next to.

Ashe gave a groan of surprise or pain, and she continued to glare at Vaan, "Let me go."

"Then would you knock it off with attacking me? You're not as mature as you try to be," Vaan said, lowering his hands but remaining on her arms. He was suddenly overtaken by the glow coming from Ashe. Maybe it was the sunlight on her skin, shining off the water that remained from her bath as well as the shine on her wet hair, but Vaan was now quite taken with the realization that there was a beautiful woman inches from him.

Ashe noticed the pause in Vaan and tried to not guess what he was thinking. His eyes seemed lost in whatever he was looking at, but when they made contact with her own she thought she saw something...familiar in his eyes and for a split second she was frightened. "Please, Vaan, release me," she spoke in a low tender tone, almost pleading.

Vaan shook his head quickly, then dropped his hands, "Sorry about that." He really meant what he said, and Ashe believed him.

Feeling her cheeks go red and hot, Ashe ran around to the other side of the tree, "I'll get dressed...please leave!"

And without complaining, Vaan left the area, still a bit confused as to what just happened between him and the princess.


	5. Chapter 5

Evening, close to dark.

The trip back to the camping spot was the quietest that either Ashe or Vaan had been through in quite some time. Vaan had spoken little, trying to get Ashe to speak after what had happened between them at the bath. This wasn't anything new to Vaan, but for some reason there was something different about the last encounter.

Ashe had tried to hurt him when he accidentally stumbled upon her at the bath, but when he stopped her and, after seeing who was right in front of him he suddenly found himself somewhere else. What had been in front of him had been simply more than a naked woman; it had been someone who had appeared vulnerable because he was there, like he was peering into her heart. That was definitely something you weren't supposed to see unless she let him.

This whole thing troubled Vaan, but he tried to keep that to himself for Ashe's sake. He was looking after her, and that was what he was going to do no matter what happened otherwise.

Getting back to the fallen airship tower, Vaan remained outside to think while Ashe, without saying a word, went on inside.

The princess hadn't said a word to Vaan, and for good reason. That reason was not because she was upset or angry with him; it was the lack of negative feeling she had towards him that made Ashe avoid him. Ashe went into a corner of the small room, her eyes looking towards the window entrance where Vaan more than likely stood on the other side.

_'This boy...he paused when he looked at me,' _Ashe thought as she began to move and make her bed. She was using the same blankets she had used the night before. The princess had not tried to think about what was going on with Vaan, but it was bothering her that she couldn't come to a decent conclusion as to what it was.

Surely it wasn't because of attraction? Ashe would have laughed it off had it happened days before, but she was silent now. Vaan had seen her fully exposed, and that must have caused him to lose his breath. That was a logical conclusion, and for now Ashe was willing to let it be that. For now.

With Ashe getting ready for sleep inside, Vaan remained outside and decided to watch the moon slowly starting to glow in the sky above him. The stars were starting to dot the darkening sky, and Vaan sat against the concrete tower. "Well, better start thinking of returning to the others soon, now that the weather has improved and the Marlboros more than likely returned to their nests. Ashe would like that too, he thought, his mind drifting back to the princess.

_'Ashe...she is a princess and all, fighting for her kingdom with fierce determination but for a moment I thought I saw something that made her appear...heavenly...' _Vaan stopped. Ashe? Heavenly? Those two words didn't go well with a woman who would bite your head off should you get on her bad side. Well, in Vaan's case he had been smacked in the face to the point his cheek was almost numb, but still...they say the ones who are more aggressive are especially emotional on the inside. For Ashe, she had the whole world in the palm of her hand and in the span of a week it had been taken from her. Vaan wasn't stupid, a bit dense, but not stupid. He knew about Ashe's marriage to Rasler, the war that followed, and the end result Rasler being killed in Nalbina. After that she lost her father and her kingdom all in one night.

She had lost everything in a short amount of time, and while most would take the pity and not do anything about it, Ashe would not. She fought on, and she was fighting now.

Maybe in that time she blocked out all other emotions. Other than hatred and anger towards Arcadia, maybe she locked the rest of her heart away?

Vaan believed this was the case. However, he didn't know if he could do anything that would be able to help her. He didn't understand how a heart really worked, but keeping all the feelings inside couldn't be a good thing...

A night breeze came through and Vaan shivered, it was cooler out than he had expected. "Better get inside and try to warm." He stood up and climbed on inside the tower. In the faint moonlight he was able to see that Ashe was under the blankets, already asleep from the looks of it. There wasn't much blanket left, but Vaan was able to get enough to at least partially cover himself. He was inches from Ashe, her back covered only by a thin white shirt she wore. She had her back to him like the other night, but this time she wasn't as cold.

As Vaan closed his eyes and tried to sleep, he heard Ashe shift position. Opening his eyes again he saw that she had done a 180, her front was now towards him. Her facial expression wasn't peaceful but appeared troubled and in distress, like she was having a bad dream. She began to shiver, but Vaan had this nagging suspicion that it had nothing to do with the cool prairie air.

"Rasler..."

Vaan heard the princess say the late prince's name and he now knew that what he suspected earlier was now proven true. She was hiding her feelings, and it seems that they only came out when she slept.

The young thief, without trying to wake up the princess, moved in closer to her, putting an arm around her, trying to shield her as best he could from all that was causing her pain.

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><p><strong>AN:** Well, there's another chapter done folks! What will happen next? Find out when the next chapter is released on September 20th!


	6. Chapter 6

It was still night when Ashe woke up. She hadn't woken up because of the cold, or for a danger lurking in the shadows of her mind, but the images of war. She'd seen fighting before, but the images she had seen shook her to her core and the only way out was to wake up. Her eyes opened to see Vaan's sleeping face in front of her. She found herself surprisingly warm, thanks to Vaan, who was now holding her in his arms. This was almost like the first night they had slept in the tower. Ashe had told him off and refused his company then, but as strange as it seemed she didn't mind it now.

She gave a quick exhale and closed her eyes again, trying to get more sleep before dawn could roll around.

"Another bad dream, Ashe?"

It was Vaan's voice. The princess opened her eyes, slowly this time, and answered, "Something like that." She could feel the thief's hand slowly going up and down her lower back, almost like giving a tender gesture.

Vaan's eyes opened, "Care to talk about it?"

The princess put her hand on his arm, stopping his caress of her back; it was too intimate for her coming from him. Still, she felt compelled to share her nightmare. "Swords clashing, arrows flying, blood being spilled, and the countless bodies of fallen Dalmascans. In the center of it all was..."

"Lord Rasler."

She looked up at him, "How'd you know?"

Vaan lowered his arm again, "You whispered his name many times in the past hour."

Cursing her grief, she failed to keep it inside, and Ashe hated herself for it. She hated when her emotions got the better of her, especially when she couldn't control them. Still, she tried to hide behind her strong facade, "You better not tell anyone."

"Or what? You'll slap me again? I'm already used to that, Princess."

"I'll-"

"It's alright if you're still grieving."

Ashe stopped, "One can't grieve forever. Not even for my first love. I've tried to move on, thinking solely of revenge on the Empire, but at night it still comes back to haunt me. Like a predator in the shadows, it stares me down, reminding me of what I lost and then kills my heart. It's happened so many times that I fear that one day I die emotionally."

Vaan watched as the princess sat up, bringing her knees to her chest yet remaining under the blanket. She put her forehead to her knees.

The thief sat up as well, "Can't grieve forever...now that's something that I know about almost more than anyone." He sat down next to her, and Ashe raised her head. "I know that you've lost more than you could bear. Your father, your husband, your kingdom...but I also lost my brother in a similar fashion. I grieved, I cried, but I kept remembering him and what I lived for. I thought revenge was the best way to go, but it was not. I fight to live. I fight for freedom. That's what you are doing as well. That puts us pretty much in the same boat, right?"

Ashe looked down, trying to hide her face. Vaan was right. She wasn't the only one who was still grieving, and she had been blind to that for quite some time. The world didn't revolve around the Princess and her mission of revenge. More than she belonged in that circle.

"How'd you get over his death?"

Vaan leaned back, laying his legs flat on the ground, "I sought out Penelo and my other friends. It may seem small when you think about it, but your friends can be a major help in helping mend an aching heart. They can help make you feel something again. It always worked for me."

As Vaan lie back down and lay on his side, Ashe remained sitting up. Could it really be that simple? To seek out comfort from others close to you and you'll be alright? "I might have to try something else if it fails," she said, getting comfortable with what blanket she had.

Vaan opened his eyes again, "In that case, if you need me for anything. Anything at all, just let me know. Okay?"

Ashe looked into his eyes, saw that he meant what he said, and he closed his eyes before she could ask anything more. _Anything…did he really mean that?_ That and other thoughts went through the Princess' mind as she lay down. She tried to figure it out but she lost track and fell asleep.

Vaan remained close to her up until the sun rose.

When Ashe woke up soon after dawn, she found Vaan was standing outside the entrance to their tower, looking up at the sky. Ashe went and looked at the sky too; it was dark and cloudy yet again. And the rumbling of thunder signaled the oncoming storm.

"Not again!"

Vaan jumped a little, seeing Ashe was up again, and he immediately sensed her disappointment. Stuck out in the prairie for the last few days because of monsters and weather and when it looked as if they could finally return to Gilmore they were forced back again. Was nothing good going to happen to them ever?

"Good morning," Vaan said with a small smile, trying to be optimistic.

Ashe acknowledged his smile, but couldn't bring herself to do the same, "We'll be spending another day out here, won't we?"

The thief nodded slowly, "Seems like it."

The princess didn't bother putting her boots on, she climbed over the window edge and went outside. She stood next to Vaan, and saw nothing but dark grey clouds that appeared to go on for miles.

"Well, least this time our clothes are dry, huh?"

Her attempt at being humorous astounded Vaan, and he smiled. "Yup."

That's when Ashe noticed he was holding something. "What are those?"

In Vaan's right hand he held at least seven small white flowers tied together by a string. He had found when he had gone outside that morning. He held them up in front of Ashe, "I think they're called moon lilies. Didn't think much about them before, but I uh thought you'd like them, especially after last night."

Ashe stared at the flowers for a few seconds, her mouth was open by a bit, but the look on her face said she wasn't expecting this. Vaan had brought her flowers? "For me?"

As she took them in her hands, Vaan scratched the back of his head nervously, "Thought you needed something to cheer you up. Didn't know if words were enough, so...yeah..."

Ashe's eyes began to slowly tear up, but before Vaan could fully notice he felt something cold hit the top of his head.

It had started to rain!

Ashe had already started to high tail it by the time she felt the first drop. More and more ice cold drops began to fall, and Vaan started to laugh as he ran back toward the tower.

Climbing in with haste, Ashe quickly grabbed the blanket and dried her face, and her tears, away before Vaan could see them.

"That was a surprise," Vaan said aloud, running his hand through his hair. "Least we didn't get totally soaked, right Ashe?"

She didn't answer. Vaan saw the princess with her back to him. Figuring something was off; Vaan went around and saw she appeared fine. Physically it seemed. She was clutching her white flowers tightly in her hands and holding them to her chest. Her face appeared to be serene, her eyes shining because of the tears welling up in them again.

"Ashe?"

The princess brought one of her hands and placed it on Vaan's chest. She didn't push him back, she just placed it there. "I never did get to thank you."

"For those? It wasn't a big deal in getting them if that's what you mean-"

"I'm not talking about the flowers."

Vaan's eyebrows went up.

"I meant for helping me last night. That was the first night in a long while, in two years it seems, that I had a good dream instead of a nightmare."

Vaan saw Ashe lower the hand that was on his chest, it didn't leave his body, and he felt it go to his midsection. "Ashe?"

"It was all because of your words, I never thought I'd get through this with anything but a sword, but you proved me wrong Vaan. Thank you."

The thief felt his cheeks go hot, and he lost track of time in the few moments after the princess had finished her sentence. Ashe lowered her head and leap into Vaan, putting her arms around his waist and burying her face in his shoulder, and she finally let her tears flow.

The heavy hitting of the rain outside was drowned out by the sounds of Ashe's sobbing, and Vaan couldn't help but notice that even the thunder had gone silent.

Consoling a woman was something Vaan knew very little about, but an emotionally distraught woman he felt was out of his league.

Still, he tried to help her. He put his arms around her, holding her securely with him until her crying calmed down considerably. As she began to slow down, Vaan released his hold on her, and Ashe backed away.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Ashe said, clearing her cheeks of the trails her tears had made.

Vaan wiped away where her tears had fallen on his chest, "It's alright, Ashe." If you need anything from me, just ask, okay?"

Just like he had said last night. _'If you need me for anything, just let me know.'_ Those words were now etched firmly in her mind. What she needed now was something she had been seeking for nearly two years, but it wasn't until now that Ashe, the princess of Dalmasca had to ask for it.

"Comfort..."

Vaan looked into her eyes, his smile fading fast. "What?"

Ashe raised both of her hands, this time placing them both on Vaan's chest. Her hands were colder than he was, but they were scorching against his skin. This caused the thief to turn a bit redder in the cheeks than before.

"A-Ashe?"

Vaan was pushed backwards and didn't stop until his back was planted firmly against the wall. "Please Vaan..."

Ashe looked up at him, her eyes sparkling and her expression innocent, "Comfort me."


	7. Chapter 7

The Princess, normally strong and stalwart and a person who would never let others see her weak, had tears in her eyes and was appearing to be the most vulnerable she had ever been in her life. He had his back to the wall, and Ashe's cold hands were pressed against his chest. Her sobbing caused her chest to heave with every breath and her hands shook.

_Comfort me…_ Those words echoed through Vaan's mind, and he wasn't too sure what she wanted him to do. For what he knew he had thought he'd been doing just that, albeit it was in what one would call small amounts. Thus, in Vaan's mind, the best thing for him to do in order to find out the answer was to let Ashe make the next move or say what she meant.

He didn't have to wait long for an answer.

She ran her cool hands slowly across his chest and down his sides, which made him shiver slightly. Vaan was not used to the contact, it was unfamiliar and he wasn't sure what to do.

Ashe pulled her hands back up his chest to his shoulders, "Sorry, Vaan. If this is too much to ask for from you…just tell me—"

Vaan brought his hand up to Ashe's lips, "All I need to know, Ashe, is what you want. Are you using me for your own benefit?"

Taking his hand in her own, Ashe slowly shook her head, "No. Being used is something I never want anyone to feel, especially you. You've done too much for me." She put her head against his shoulder, resting comfortably there. "But if you don't want to go too far, just tell me, but…"

She felt his hands move. One went to her lower back, the warmth there feeling good against her skin. The other went up her back to run gently through her hair. As he did she moved closer. There wasn't any space between the two now. "Ashe, if you need me…just say it."

She lowered her chin, almost shamefully admitting, "I…I need you…"

That was answer enough.

The hand that was on the back of Ashe's head came to her chin, lifting her eyes to his. "Then that's all I need to know."

He didn't move next, it was Ashe that leaned forward until her lips touched his. It was Vaan's first kiss, yet it was also Ashe's first. She hadn't shown anyone any affection since the death of Rasler and the loss of her kingdom. At one point, before she had supposedly killed herself in her grief, she had even vowed to never take another man as her lover. Yet now, here she was, locking lips with a teenage boy who had also lost everything to war and Arcadia. A thief who was willing to do what he needed to get retribution. Yet, none of that mattered now. Not a lost kingdom, not lost loved ones, not even Arcadia mattered at this moment. Instead, what mattered was the welling up of emotions in the former Princess of Dalmasca that she needed to release. It was because of that that she didn't let him stop, she didn't want him to stop.

And Vaan was the only one who could help her.

Ashe closed her eyes as Vaan held her close, finally releasing her lips so she could breathe. Her chest heaved into his, the soaked cloth of her shirt rubbing against his chest. She leaned back to give herself some space between herself and Vaan, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

The thief lowered his hands to Ashe's back again before stopping at her hips. She ran her hands across his shoulders, trying to push the vest off him. She managed to get it loose until Vaan took it off for her. He was bare-chested, and Ashe admired him for being as fit as he was. She took a few seconds longer until she brought her hands to her own chest. While Vaan watched her, she undid her shirt before slowly taking it off. The sound of the rain pounding away outside hid the sound of the gulp Vaan made in his throat as the woman before him stripping down to nothing. When she was finished taking her skirt off Ashe stood up straight, and hard to believe her cheeks were red as apples. She moved back to him, and she lessened the space between them immediately by pressing her chest up against his.

Vaan, being a complete virgin, had never seen a naked woman before. Sure, he had known Penelo since they had been kids but he had never gotten intimate with her and he considered her to be something akin to a little sister. Still, this was all new to him, and so he was glad that Ashe was making her own moves for him.

This time it was Vaan who kissed Ashe, and while she didn't have the chance to say it she was caught off guard. That didn't matter as time went on. Hands moved where they wanted without restriction, no hesitation from either of them even as they moved to the floor to lie on the fur blanket Vaan had brought with him.

Before it was all over, Ashe had remembered how it felt to be alive.

It was still raining when Ashe woke up, albeit much lighter than it had been as of late, and it was darker out as well. She also noticed that she was alone. Wrapped in the fur blanket that was Vaan's, she wondered where he had gone. She sat up slowly, feeling a slight pain between her legs and on her chest. She used the blanket to cover her chest as she sat up

She didn't have to wait long as Vaan climbed back into the room from outside; he carried a bog of plants. He opened his bag and then noticed that Ashe was looking at him. "Sleep well?"

The princess nodded once, her body was still sore from earlier. Can't blame her as it had been over two years since she had shared a bed with a man. She didn't want to tell him yet, but though he had been inexperienced Vaan had done wonders for Ashe during their 'session', and it had been amazing. "I did." The blanket only covered half of her body, and as she was colder out of it, Ashe kept herself wrapped up and lay back down, still tired.

Vaan started to go through his bag, "I got us some vegetables to eat while we wait for the storm to finish passing. It won't be too long before the sun will come out."

Ashe sighed, though she did find the prospect of leaving the plains after being stuck out here for days quite lovely. "So, Vaan, I just wanted to say—"

"Don't thank me."

Ashe sat back up slowly, dropping the blanket to her lap, "Vaan…I have to, otherwise I would not live with myself."

Vaan turned to look at her, and for a few moments was mesmerized by her. She looked so beautiful and serene sitting in the light, her body shown for him to see whether it be accident or not. He had to shake his head to focus, "Ashe, I helped you. I'd do anything to help you, so being thankful to me isn't needed."

"But if I didn't, it would feel like I used you."

"We've already gone over this, Ashe. You didn't use me. If you hadn't asked me then it would have been different. That's all there is to it," he said, closing his bag. He wasn't feeling hungry at the moment.

Ashe felt a smile come across her lips as she brought one of her arms to her chest, "If that's how you feel, then I shall leave it at that." She lightly sighed, "Also, I should say, you did very well earlier."

The look she gave him made Vaan feel a little embarrassed and he had to turn away from her to hide it. "T-Thanks."

Ashe felt her smile grow.

"Um…it will still be awhile before the rain stops, and then we have to wait for the ground to dry before we can walk again. Better rest while we can," he said trying to but was unable to look away from her.

Ashe's smile vanished slowly, "Alright."

She lowered her head but had to raise it again when she noticed Vaan crawling over to her, lowering her back to the blanket. She felt him gently pressing a leg against her center while one of his hands was at her lower back, to balance his body over hers. Such an action would have been uncalled for on Vaan's part days ago, but Ashe was more comfortable with him now more than ever. So comfortable was she that her left hand grabbed his right and held it tightly while her right rested on the back of his head and pushed him into a kiss.

She didn't want to let him go, and she had until the sun came out, and so she made the best of the situation.

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><p>AN: I plan to make at least one more chapter to finish this story, since more than likely my other stories need to be completed as well.


	8. Chapter 8: Final Chapter

The sun did indeed come out a few hours later, and thanks to its constant presence, Vaan noticed that because of it the water was evaporating really fast.

Ashe was still lying down on the floor, still nude from earlier but her upper body was covered in the fur blanket Vaan had given her. She slowly sat up and saw him standing at the window, "Vaan?"

The teen turned his head to her, "Oh, hello Ashe. You rest well?"

She nodded, "Yes, thank you." She had a handful of the blanket and got to her feet. She walked slowly to her lover, putting a hand on his bare shoulder as she looked out the window and saw the result of a few hours of sunlight were doing on a hot day. This sent a pang of dread up Ashe's being. "It will soon be dry..."

Vaan nodded once, "That's right."

She sighed in disappointment, which was odd of her. A few days ago she'd jump at the thought of getting back on the road and reach her objective. But that was a few suns and moons ago, and things had changed for the proud princess. She had found something she had been seeking for two years, and now she didn't want to give it up. Not now, not ever.

Yet...

"Soon we'll be able to get back to the others and continue on our journey," Vaan said, putting one of his hands on Ashe's.

'The others...' Ashe suddenly realized something, and it needed to be addressed here and now. "Vaan, there's something we need to talk about."

He slowly turned around to face her, and the sight of Ashe before him made him smile for a split second, "What's wrong?"

Ashe was slightly hesitant, like she was regretting what she was saying, "It's about everyone else...I don't want them to know about this. About these past few days, or about us. Ever."

Vaan looked down towards the ground then back at her, and Ashe felt her heart had drop to her stomach, "That so?"

"I'm sorry...I just...for the sake of the mission, I'd think we'd keep this all between us."

To her surprise she thought she had seen a smirk come across his face, "well, if we got too intimate I'm sure they'd ask questions and we'd be in quite a pickle...and with what you being a princess and all that. I think I can understand why."

"Me being a princess have nothing to do with it, Vaan. I just don't want us to be distracted from Arcadia's defeat," she grabbed his hand with one of her own. "Trust me, what we went through here together-and what you gave me-I will never forget. I'll keep it in my heart until I die." She smiled at him.

Vaan thought about it for a few seconds, then he looked down at his hand in hers, and he squeezed it lightly. He nodded at Ashe, "I'll never forget either, Ashelia."

From that moment on, Ashe knew she didn't have to worry. Vaan would never tell anyone. She was touched by his words, "Thank you, Vaan."

She tried to pull away, thinking to go get dressed for when they left later, but Vaan's grip on her hand was tight. Before she could ask Vaan tugged her towards him, she dropped the blanket in the process and her now naked chest collided with Vaan's. He caught her though, and held her in his arms, the skin on skin contact calming her as she stood up straight.

"Well, we leave in the morning…want to make our last night together a memorable one?"

His words brought a smile to Ashe's lips, and her appreciative expression made her answer plain as day.

The last morning was a quiet one. Vaan and Ashe had tried to avoid any sort of intimate contact, with the exception of the kiss Ashe had given him to wake him up at dawn.

The plan between them was set and they rehearsed it as they got their belongings together and started to walk on the now bone dry ground towards the Jungle.

"Remember," Ashe said, trying to sound polite though she knew once they were reunited with the others that tone with Vaan would be gone. "We're to say that we got stuck in a cave and fought our way out after four days…we helped each other only to survive."

"That's what we agreed to, and I'll follow it to the letter," Vaan agreed.

They stopped short of the bend that would take them right to the entrance of the tunnel that would go into the Jungle, and Ashe hesitated. Vaan got right up beside her.

"Ashe?"

She turned to look at him, "Vaan…promise me you'll never forget. About us."

Vaan looked at the bend, then back at Ashe, "I promise, and I'll honor our moments." He grabbed her hand, "You're the only one in my heart, Ashe. It'll stay that way forever."

He finished his sentence as the princess grabbed his vest with both hands and pulled him to her. The kiss was sudden but after an initial surprise Vaan settled into it

For Ashe, it was the last one for a very, very long time and she wanted to savor it for as long as she could.

Then, for what she wanted it to last for a blessed eternity, it was over.

Vaan pulled back slightly, and for a few seconds he and Ashe locked eyes and didn't flinch. She spoke, "I have this feeling this is good-bye, my love."

"This is a simple 'see you later' matter, Ashe. We'll be with each other again."

She nodded slowly, still unsure of what was going to happen in the future.

Then, from the far end of the bend, they could hear voices of their friends and they were getting closer to them.

"Well, time to stick to the plan, Ashelia. Farewell," Vaan said as he started to slowly walk towards the others as they started to come from the other side.

Ashe took a few seconds longer to move. She remained standing in place, and in her mind Vaan's last words echoed, and in her heart she felt them melt her soul. In a whisper only she heard, but secretly hoped Vaan would hear her as well she said only six words.

"Farewell, but not good-bye, my beloved."

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><p>AN: So, the trilogy is finally complete after five years of work. That is extraordinary. The previous chapter before this was supposed to be the end but I thought I could make it a bit more heart wrenching, and besides, I thought the last sentence of this chapter was rather fitting end to the series. Thank you all those who stuck with this story until the very end. Remember, "The Hardest Way to Love" was the middle story, this is the prequel, and "Farewell, but Not Goodbye" is the final piece of the trilogy. Once again, thank you all and see you in another story!


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